Local health officials taking precautions against Ebola

Health officials have been preparing for a case of Ebola in the United States, and they say Iowans have reason to feel well protected against any outbreak.

The Center for Disease Control said Monday it has enhanced surveillance and laboratory testing capacity, developed tools for health departments to conduct public health investigations and provided recommendations for infection control.

'News about Ebola can be scary and it is understandable that Iowans are concerned a case of Ebola could occur in Iowa as it has in Texas,” said the Iowa Department of Public Health in a statement. 'However, there is a world of difference between the U.S. and the parts of Africa where Ebola is spreading.”

The state has a strong health care system, IDPH officials said, and public health professionals are prepared to respond to infectious diseases - even Ebola.

On Monday, UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids and Linn County Public Health said the organizations are working together to prepare for the possibility of an individual with Ebola being admitted for care.

'Together we are ready to detect a possible Ebola case; protect our community, patients, staff; and respond appropriately to any Ebola case that might present in our local health care system,” the groups said in a statement.

Each facility has procedures and equipment ready to handle infectious diseases.

Local and state health officials reminded residents that Ebola is not a virus that can spread through the air. Ebola is only contagious if the infected person is having active symptoms and is spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of a sick person or exposure to objects, such as needles, that have been contaminated.

'IDPH recognizes that even a single case of Ebola diagnosed in the United States can raise concerns locally,” state officials said. 'IDPH has been and will continue to work closely with CDC and local public health agencies to ensure the state is ready to respond should the need arise.”